Fait Accompli
by ChristyCat
Summary: NEW FIC! Updated EVERY SUNDAY! Centers at first around the events that cause Clark to leave Earth in search of life on Krypton. But there are some doozies of plot twists go and we are off the reservation as far as a known timeline. Buckle your seatbelt.
1. Prelude: What Hurts The Most

**Title:** What Hurts The Most  
**Author:** brdwaybebe  
**Spoilers:** S2 and then it goes AU  
**Rating:** PG  
**Word Count**: 3,916 words  
**Disclaimer:** This is another in my growing repertoire of Reeveverse oneshots. For some reason they always seem to translate to angst. Which is odd because I'm about the least angsty person I know. Huh. Maybe I get it all out in my fics?

Anyway, I think I need to make a concentrated effort to write a RV comedy lol. I feel guilty for all I put them through. This story is from the 12 Days of Clois prompt; "Clark's Last Day at The Daily Planet" – I thought I had an idea and then when it came to write it I about went bonkers trying to coax my muse into cooperating. Enter Lois and Anissa who held my hand through all my whining and lent me their muse. This is a result of that nurturing. Despite the angst it is written with love and so I dedicate this one to them. 

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The sound of a melodious laugh floated on the air over the hustle and bustle of the bullpen over to the desk of Clark Kent. His eyes rose from his work to locate the source of the sound. It didn't require much searching as his ears, if not his whole being were tuned to Lois Lane's every intake of breath.

Across the bullpen, Lois tapped Jimmy Olsen on the arm, nearly causing him to drop his camera. Her voice lilted once again as the pair laughed together, the tune burrowing into Clark's heart, causing it to ache. Jimmy lifted his camera in Lois' direction sending the reporter into a series of comical poses, none of which the photographer would be able to use for her bio portrait for the Daily Planet's upcoming journalist featurette. She leaned dramatically back in her chair, fluffing her hair and pouting her lips toward the lens. Jimmy muttered something under his breath and Lois' face bloomed into her million dollar smile that never failed to light up a room. The young photographer leaned forward to peer into the view finder, nodding slightly in satisfaction that he'd gotten the shot he needed.

Clark's mouth turned up into a melancholic smile. It was good to see her smile again. His eyes flickered unconsciously over to the archive room. His heart twisted gently at the sight of it in response to the events that had occurred there.

He had spent many an afternoon in that room sparring with Lois amidst the old newspapers and microfiche. Hours would pass in a blink, as the pair worked together in perfect tandem to ferret out the angles that Pulitzer worthy stories were made of. Clark exhaled softly. But in all the volume of memories the room held, one clamored at the forefront of his mind. The surface of his lips tingled as the memory washed over him.

Lois' face had been lifted toward his, an expression of complete trust juxtaposing the tears that ran down her cheeks.

Clark had been unable to bear that he was the cause of those tears and his hands had instinctively risen. His fingers gently rested along her jaw line as his thumbs traced across the glittering trail of her tears, erasing the evidence of their existence.

He could still hear the sound of his heart thundering in his ears as he'd wrestled with his decision. _It was the right thing to do._ A small voice that sounded more like his Jor-El than himself whispered.

In his mind's eye he relived the moment that he had lowered his lips to hers. He never thought there would be a time where he would hesitate to kiss Lois Lane. His entire body instinctively reached for her, even now his arms ached to hold her.

But in that moment he'd held back just for a second. He'd taken a breath, a moment of hesitation before the certainty of decision. When their lips met he'd been lost in the feel of her. He had pulled her as close to him as he dared, letting her melt into him as he'd memorized every curve, every rise and fall of her. Those memories, they would need to last him a lifetime.

An ever-intensifying warmth spread over his lips and Lois had gasped as it had passed onto hers. Clark's mind's eye had exploded with the force of their shared memories. He'd felt her wonder at discovering she'd been right all along about his identity, the prickle of anger at his deceit that had been swallowed up in her all-consuming love for him. A sob had risen in his throat in the face of such love, mourning its loss as he slid the memory of him moment by moment from her mind. He turned every second over in his heart like a precious gemstone to be examined, folding it into the safety of his heart where he alone would bear the burden of a love story that could not be written.

How he had warred within himself. The desire to have her as his own, raged against a lifetime of teaching that said it was impossible. He would be a danger to her and he loved her too much to put a target on her back. _Never set one of them above the rest. Love all humanity instead._ His father's voice had echoed in his mind, triggering the sense of respect and subsequent obedience that he had learned within the crystalline walls of the Fortress that would once again return to its solitude.

Lois' fingers had tightened at the lapel of his suit, her grip wrinkling the unremarkable fabric mere millimeters from the seal of his Kryptonian heritage. As her hands slipped away to rest at her sides, his heart had twisted at the metaphor… S_o close but never to be._

He'd lifted his head, and stepped back once, twice… Even that tiny measure of distance was excruciating. His eyes never left her face. Her countenance had changed, trading anguish for peace and as a result her tears had been traded for his.

A coworker had entered the room and he had turned away, wiping the telltale moisture from his cheeks. When Lois' eyes had opened, they were clear and bright, if not a touch confused. Her eyes had lifted to his momentarily and he'd scanned her expression for any glimmer of recognition. Finding none, he'd made a hurried excuse to leave the room and for the first time in his life, he'd fled.

"Are you okay, Mr. Kent?" a voice ripped him from his thoughts.

"What?" Clark looked up in surprise through a veil of unshed tears to see Jimmy looking down at him with concern. He slipped his finger beneath the lens of his glasses to wipe away the telltale moisture. "Allergies." He said, his voice taking on a timbre that was pathetic even to his own ears. He reached over his desk for a tissue, and made a show of noisily blowing his nose. "I'll be fine." He said, pasting on a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Jimmy nodded slowly. "I'm taking pictures for the journalist piece we're running tomorrow." He said somewhat apologetically. "I need a shot of you for your bio."

"Oh…" Clark's eyes fell to the crumpled tissue in his hand. "I don't think it'll be necessary Jimmy." He lifted his eyes at last to meet those of the red haired coworker who had become a dear friend. "This is my last day at the Planet."

Jimmy stared at him, momentarily taken aback. "You're…leaving?" his freckled noise wrinkled in confusion. His eyes scanned Clark's desk, only now noticing its stark appearance. Wide green eyes found their way to Clark. "For how long?"

Clark sighed and tossed the tissue into the trash can. "A long while." He murmured.

"But…I mean…no one knew…" Jimmy's face was pained. "Where are you going?"

"Traveling. There is something I need to do." He rasped in a tone that didn't invite questions. He exhaled softly at the young man's expression and rose to his feet to embrace him. Clark offered his friend a sad smile. "I'll miss you Jimmy." He turned away to pull an empty box from beneath his desk and set it atop his already sparse shelf.

Clark kept his back turned, pretending to busy himself with filling the box with the last of his belongings until Jimmy walked away in shocked silence.

A pang of regret rang through him.

Experience had lent him to believe no one would notice the departure of mild mannered klutz in the corner. Perry had accepted his resignation with little more than a raised eyebrow and a phone call had prevented further conversation. His desk had been all but bare the better part of the day and this fact having gone largely unnoticed by his coworkers, he hadn't put much thought into a passable story.

He'd spoken with Dr. Hamilton about a recent discovery made by NASA of a planet somewhere near the galaxy that had brought him to earth. Their presupposition was that planet was Krypton.

Clark had been gobsmacked by the news. The all-consuming loneliness he'd been suffering since his fateful kiss with Lois had subsided ever so slightly and a small ray of hope had begun to shine. Was it possible that he wasn't alone? The thought of somehow finding life on his home world offered him solace from the life of solitude he had until that moment faced.

He set the now-filled box on his empty chair and let his eyes wander over the entirety of the bullpen. _I'm not running away._ He rationalized as his eyes found their way once again to Lois' desk. She was balancing the handset of the phone on her shoulder as her fingers flew with determined fury over the keyboard. Her earlier smile had been replaced with the brow-furrowed determination she adopted when a source was being less than cooperative. She paused in her typing to give a heated reply to the person on the other side of the phone. Her arms waved and her hands stabbed at the air as she passionately laid out her points.

She was the very definition of tenacity and it was that very trait he adored about her that would inevitably lead her to his identity if given the opening. He couldn't take that chance. And with this amazing opportunity before him, it was the best course of action. She would continue on as she always had in her signature style of brilliant grace. Lois would continue on with a life unburdened by the pitfalls his love would bring her.

He wasn't running away.

Then Lois looked up mid-tirade and their eyes met from across the room. Lungs that could withstand the vacuum of space struggled for breath as her fierce expression softened into a smile just for a moment before she continued her struggle with her source.

Who was he kidding?

He watched her for a moment more, before tucking the small box under his arm. He gently folded his coat over his arm and slipped out the doors of the Daily Planet bullpen for the last time.

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Lois slammed down the phone so hard the tremor caused one of the frames on her shelf to slide off its support and clatter onto her desk. She scribbled some notes on a steno pad as she absently reached for the fragile frame. She turned it over to find herself standing beside Clark, their smiles shining brightly from behind the clear glass. This picture had been taken last year at the Casey Journalism Award ceremony. It was the one time Clark had taken an award over her and perhaps the only time in her life she wasn't furious at the fact.

She ran her finger over the smooth surface, a gentle smile softening her face.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who's going to miss him." Jimmy grumbled, placing a full cup of coffee on her desk before sitting in the slumping into the chair beside it.

Lois replaced the frame on its shelf and began to gather her notes together. "Miss who?" She asked distractedly.

"Clark." Jimmy lamented.

"Clark?" Two raven eyebrows gathered in confusion. "What do you mean, miss him? Clark isn't going anywhere." Lois shook tossed the sugar packet Jimmy had brought with her coffee into the trash can beside her desk. After all these years, Clark was the only one who remembered she liked her coffee black.

Jimmy's jaw slacked a moment as he realized that Lois had been just as in the dark about Clark's departure as he. "I just finished speaking with him, Lois." He began to pick at an undefined speck on his camera lens. "He said today was his last day at the Planet, that he was going somewhere." Jimmy looked at Lois sadly. "And from what I saw, he was pretty broken up about it."

A chill ran through Lois' body. She turned her head, focusing her full attention on the fidgeting young man beside her. _This couldn't be true. _ She took a sip of her coffee and made a face, her emotion expertly hidden behind a haughty exterior. "Jimmy, why did you bring me decaf?" she asked incredulously.

"I didn't-"

Lois cut him off. "This clearly decaf. Please get me another cup of coffee, and this time; forget the sugar."

Jimmy rose to his feet at her tone, wisely deciding it was best not to argue. "Sorry, Lois. I'll get you a new one right away." But Lois had already turned back to her notes.

Lois' hands gripped the edge of her desk so hard her knuckles were bloodless and white. Her eyes snapped over to Clark's desk. From her vantage point she could see that he wasn't in his chair, the remainder of his workspace usually modest was now entirely bare. _Impossible._ She thought, blinking quickly to sooth eyes that had begun to sting with tears.

She rose to stand and her eyes caught the words she had circled in her notes. "New Planetoid Discovered?" was written in bold with a large red circle around it. An icy hand of dread wrapped itself around her throat. Lois reached for the phone, stabbing the buttons with unnecessary force born of building panic.

"You've reached the voicemail of Clark Kent. I'm not available to take your-"

Lois pressed her finger into the receiver, breaking the connection. Her fingers flew over the buttons as she dialed a second number from memory.

"Thank you for calling S.T.A.R Labs! How may I direct -?"

"Connect me with Dr. Hamilton." Lois was on the warpath now and the jovial voice only seemed to fuel the growing inferno of her fury.

"Miss Lane, Dr. Hamilton is unavailable at the moment. As I recall you have already had you scheduled phone appointment with him." The secretary said, her southern drawl maintaining a chilly professional tone.

"Listen Mary Sue or whatever your name is, if you don't connect me immediately, I _will_ come down there. And if you think I'm difficult over the phone, wait until you get the up close and personal experience." Lois growled.

There was a moment of silence before the secretary asked her to hold. A second or so later there was a lone tone and a beep before a series of fumbled rustlings. The nervous voice of Emil Hamilton piped into Lois' ear. "This is Dr. Hamilton…"

"This is Lois Lane." Her voice cut through the phone in such a way she nearly felt him wince.

"Miss Lane. Of course. How nice to speak to you ag-"

"I have reason to believe you may have left out some pertinent details when we discussed the new discoveries that were announced at the Astronomy Summit this morning. Specifically the 'unknown' planetoid your people found…" Lois said through clenched teeth.

"I'm sure I don't know what you-"

"Dr. Hamilton." Lois' voice was a thinly veiled warning.

"Miss Lane…we are not at liberty to discuss classified information. I am under strict orders to release only the preapproved statement given by our-"

"Emil…" she rasped, her voice thickened thick with tears.

Desperation was not an emotion often heard in the voice of Lois Lane, and it caused the scientist to pause.

"Lois, you and I have a long standing relationship. I have appreciated your fairness as well as your discretion over the years in regards to a certain mutual friend of ours. I need to know the information I'm about to share will not be disclosed to anyone outside of this conversation. Can you give me that assurance?"

Her fingers tightened around the receiver. "I can." She choked.

After a moment, the reporter heard him sigh. "The planetoid we have discovered is far beyond our solar system. We have reason to believe that it may in fact be more familiar than at first suspected. Given the location and the distance it is entirely possible that the planet we've discovered could be a planet thought to have been destroyed." Emil cleared his throat before continuing. "We believe it could in fact be the planet Krypton or perhaps its remains…"

"And…" she struggled for a shallow breath. "Is Superman aware of this?"

Another pause. "He is." Dr. Hamilton admitted quietly.

"I see." Lois lifted her eyes to find her view of Clark's desk obscured by tears. "Thank you, Dr. Hamilton."

"Lois, I'm so-"

Before he had finished, Lois had already disconnected the call and had risen from her desk. Her healed snapped determinedly on the tile of the bullpen floor as she made her way to the elevator.

The crisp chill of autumn greeted her as she opened the door that let to the roof. An unseasonably frosty gust of wind blew across her face, wrapping a tendril of hair around the base of her throat. Lois flipped her face in the direction of the wind and lifted her eyes to the sky.

"Clark! Clark!!" she screamed in desperation at a sky that remained empty.

She wrapped her arms around herself in a self-protecting gesture, her mind traced back over the events of the day. Confusion and agony caused her to shiver where the wind had failed.

Closing her eyes she once again found herself in the arms of the man she loved. Her tears of uncertainty being wiped away so tenderly, the warmth of his fingers cupping her face. When his lips touched hers, the warmth seemed intensify and spread from their joined lips through her entire body. Suddenly her entire world was illuminated. Images from their time together over the past few days paraded through her mind's eye. Her heart swelled at the realization that she was experiencing not only her own memories, but those of Clark as well. She opened herself to the sweet deluge in every way she knew how basking in the intensity of his adoration.

Lois gloried in his joy in for the first time, not having to be alone. She felt his relief and amazement at her acceptance and love for him despite his being different. His love wrapped around her with all the softness and warmth of the silvery cocoon they occupied only mere hours before.

She had emerged from his kiss aglow with the absolute conviction she was loved beyond reason. The uncertainty of their future and his feelings for her had melted beneath the sunlight of his embrace.

The spell of the moment had been broken as he'd stepped away from her. She'd opened her eyes in confusion only to see the reason for his departure in Peg who was on her way into the room. Lois had feigned a dizzy spell to explain her flushed cheeks and draw attention away from Clark's lipstick smeared mouth.

She had held back a giggle as he slid so easily into the familiar and ridiculous persona of the office klutz and slipped from the room.

The joy of the memory faded and Lois began a leaden walk across the expanse of the roof. In that moment they had shared an intimacy that rivaled that of their tryst in his arctic fortress. Knowing the depth to which he loved her made the situation all the more confusing. She rested her palms against the cold stone of the ledge, letting the chill seep into her skin. _Oh Clark. Why?_

Her thoughts raced in a thousand directions, her usual precision waylaid by the anguish raging through her. A barrage of questions mixed with the new memories playing through her consciousness. She flipped through them with all the focus she could muster, forlornly searching for an answer that would explain the impossible circumstance in which she found herself.

Suddenly, a sentiment surfaced, first as a whisper, then as a shout. _Never set one of them above the rest. Love all humanity instead._ The statement ricocheted through Lois' body in the booming voice of a disembodied Kryptonian father who disapproved of his son's decision to pursue a life of love over a life of duty. _I love her too much to put a target on her back. _Another series of thoughts bloomed into her mind from the perspective of her tormented love. _This is the only way…_

The sky above her rumbled and the wind kicked up as an approaching storm began to advance in earnest. Lois collapsed against the unyielding stone of the ledge wall, sliding down the rough surface to the glittering pavement of the roof. A sob wracked her body and she reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. Tears blurred the illuminated screen as she frantically scrolled through the names until she found the one she sought. Hitting 'send', Lois curled up into a ball, trying to compose herself enough to speak.

"Kent residence."

At the sound of the kindly voice, Lois crumbled into a heap of agony. A shuddering sob escaped her throat in the stead of any words she'd planned.

"Hello?" the voice was hushed in concern. "Hello…"

"Martha…" Lois choked. "…Tell me…he's not gone…"

"Lois…is that you?" Clark's mother gasped into the phone.

Lois' answer came in the form of a grief-stricken whimper.

"Oh my poor sweet girl, he didn't think you'd take his leaving so hard." Lois heard the woman click her tongue in sympathy. "Now, don't you worry my dear, I'm sure he'll write you…"

An ember of offense ignited in the face of the well-meaning lie. Lois held the phone firmly against her cheek. "From space?" she snapped.

A stunned silence filled the phone line. When Martha found her voice again, it was thick with emotion. "Wh….How…do you know that…?"

"He didn't tell you I knew?" Lois asked, with a little more edge to her tone than she'd intended.

Martha answered quickly. "Oh, no he told me… but…oh. Oh my…"

Lois' journalistic instinct kicked in. "But what?" she pressed.

"He said… you wouldn't remember…that it was better this way." The older woman's trepidation was palpable as her voice wavered.

Lois' eyes narrowed. It was impossible. Unthinkable. He wouldn't do that to her…he _couldn't... Could he?_ Torment twisted from anguish to rage as realization dawned. The shared memories hadn't been his intent. The man she loved. The man she _trusted_ had betrayed her. Expertly constructed walls of defense, recently lowered began the process of fortification.

Lightning flashed above her head and Lois rose to her feet just as the first plump raindrops began to splash on the surfaces around her.

_This is the only way…_Clark's words echoed in her mind.

The ghostly plea fell on deaf ears as Lois bid an emotionless goodbye to Martha Kent and stalked into the shelter of the Daily Planet.

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Above the earth, the skies opened their floodgates. The roar of the gargantuan downpour filled the air as the power of the storm chased the huddled masses indoors. Downcast, fleeing gazes did not notice the small crystalline spacecraft that split the clouds as it ascended into the atmosphere.

Inside the ship, the slumbering form of the planet's greatest champion lay in quiet repose. Plans were in motion. Trajectory was set. Stasis initiated. The decision was final.

A computerized voice droned announcing the progression of the duties it had been programmed to accomplish.

"_Exiting Earth's atmosphere… _

_Booster consoles disengaged…_

_Life Support Chamber. At. 100. Percent. _

_Primary. Distance. Checkpoint; Solar System – Moon. _

_Final. Distance. Checkpoint; Thoron. _

_End Cycle. Destination: Krypton."_


	2. Author Explainy

**This was originally a one shot and after requests for an expansion (and an IDEA to take TO expansion) it is going to grow into what I think it going to be a story that is very different from anything I've ever written. I'm hoping it will be for the betterment of my range as a writer, if not, well I hope you'll be gentle.**

At any rate, I'm excited about it. Previous to this post is the original ficlet and I won't call it chapter one but more a "Prelude" since everything else after it is going to be Alternate Universe or "AU" as the fancy people say .

The title has been changed, keeping "What Hurts The Most" as the title for the first 'chapter.' I have a bunch of reasons for this, one (and an important one) being that the title itself suggests an angfest and while this fic will not be rainbows and puppy dogs, it's also not going to be a sobfest. So I feel this new title will reflect that a bit more.

Also, since this is going to be something new for me, I will be adding a bit of fun for anyone brave enough to no only read but share their thoughts. For the most insightful review, I'll be sending its author the next chapter of the story before I post it publically. Reason being I can sure use the feedback to make sure what's in my head is reaching your brains and well… shamelessly, I just wanna know people are interested if I'm gonna go after this goliath of a story concept hehe.

**So I will hopefully see you and HEAR you crazy kids starting October 25****th**** when 'Fait Accompli' goes forward!  
**

**Christy**


	3. Peering Into Darkness

-1**Title:** Fait Accompli - Chapter One: Peering Into Darkness  
**Author: **brdwaybebe  
**Spoilers: **SII and then it goes AU  
**Rating:** PG  
**Word Count:** 3,175 words  
**Notes:** Well. Here we go! The first of many thanks to Saavikam for being my long suffering tense wrangling beta. She has the patience of Job and a limitless capacity to support and it is so appreciated. Also thanks to Lois & Anissa for evenings of hand holding and ledge coaxing lol. You guys are amazing.

As I publish each chapter, I'll pick the review that was the most insightful/helpful and I'll be sending that person the new chapter before I post it publically. With this story being so far out of my comfort zone, I can use all the feedback I can get to guide me as this story stretches me as a writer.

I find myself wanting to blurt out the entire plot and squee about what is coming eons down the road so I think this is a good time for me to stop typing. I sincerely hope you enjoy this story as much as my muse enjoyed tormenting me with it lol.

(*squee*)

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The vast arena of infinite space is a limitless gulf of contradictions. Earthly technology has not yet found a way to outlast the punishing conditions of its beautiful and unforgiving breadth.

For the most part, it was silent. The only sounds were the low hum of energy that coursed through crystal machinery and his deep, controlled breath. Every so often the darkness would explode into a riot of brilliant colors as reacting gases and chemicals clashed violently together. A thunderous roar had accompanied them as a hail of meteorites screamed past the small craft. But even the unprecedented glory of the cosmos had done little to lift his spirits.

The cold was indescribable. With no source of warmth, the murderous chill of unending space found its way through crystal and into bone. And yet this was preferable to the burning swelter that sent his system into shock, as every so often the small craft entered into the heat of a nearby star. The heat of the brilliant light is immeasurable. Beautiful and deadly, it caused the iridescent surfaces of the ship to glow with life and fire, the light cascading in an ornate and hypnotizing dance all around him. This self-same same light had washed his every nerve in pain and fear, as he wondered if this will be the time the luminescent material of his home world will buckle under the relentless force of the heat.

He sometimes felt as if his very blood had begun to boil and then as quickly as it had come, the incineration receded, no longer fueled by its cosmic source.

The inky blackness is oppressive. A thin stream of light stretched timidly into the darkness only to be overcome and swallowed up in the depths. In the far off distance ahead, pinpricks of light twinkled a promise of hope that would reward one with enough fortitude to reach them.

In particularly difficult moments, his weary eyes scrape across the hulking expanse outside the windows of the ship to search out the yellow sun of the only home he's ever known. Inevitably, just as he was about to lose hope, his lifelong companion would wink at him from the immense distance that separated them, and for a moment, he remembered the energy and strength that seemed such a distant memory.

He has no food on this journey. There had been no need for it. The Earth's sun had sustained him as he made his way across the limitless expanse. The rays of the yellow star, called 'Sol' by Jor-El, followed him, providing constant nourishment, lending strength to his body and protecting him from physical harm.

But the golden sentinel of Earth had long ago surrendered its size, its light blended with that of the constellations around it. Before too long it had disappeared altogether. The stars twinkling around him now are cold, distant and unfamiliar.

Now that the distance had grown and the source of his power faded, so too did his great strength. And wit the loss of power a ravenous hunger emerges. Strong muscles became themselves weak and unsupported. Lungs that once knew no limits struggled to pluck the oxygen from the filtered air. The most brilliant mind to grace the surface of earth was now cloudy and forgetful. His eyes dimmed and filled with a sorrow that occasionally escalated into tears. The power usually found in their cerulean perception is absent and what was once boundless, was stifled in taunting limitation.

He was alone. His forehead rested against the clear cooling surface of the crystal. He exhaled, a sigh born of pure despondence.

_I chose this. This was __**my**__ decision._ He reminded himself again.

It is the solitude he found the most punishing of all. The irony struck him that he at once upon a time felt alone in a world full of sunlight and people, lively sights and organic sounds. It was a place that held people who loved him, who cared for, and respected him. He turned his back on what _was _for what _could _be, and in those moments, his own decision mocked him.

A weak, trembling hand closed around a quilt that was never out of reach. Weary fingers traced over the patches and tidy, precise stitches. He lifted it to his face and inhaled, even his diminished senses were nearly overwhelmed by the scent of home.

His mother spent the better part of his last month on Earth working on the quilt. She insisted he would need it in the chill of the atmosphere. Despite his seeming invincibility, he found it is this woman who contains the greater strength. Her age had done little to dampen the spark of tenacity burning behind the pale blue of her eyes. She's loved him with that same fire, and for all his power, it's she that has protected him in a thousand different ways over his lifetime. This quilt was her hand extended and her way of covering him, even over such an immeasurable distance.

In the chill of space, as he wrapped it around his shoulders, it was the love of his mother that warmed him far more than the softness of the material.

It was the only token he allowed himself. There were no other domestic comforts, no photographs. Reminders of home only proved painful and hindered the purpose he'd set out to accomplish. His resolve had become so fragile. If the specters that haunted his mind found their way into tangibility... he feared he would be undone. The mission would end one way or another. He would turn back, or his heart would fail, broken by sorrow as he's swallowed up into the onyx gulf of space.

He chuckled humorlessly. And it's not as if he needs a photograph to remember _her…_

He'd specifically sought to forbid himself to think of her, but the mind, he has found, is a disobedient child. The more desperately he sought to place focus elsewhere, the more thoroughly she invaded his thoughts. The sparkle of her eyes shone from every distant star. Impossibly, the scent of her manifested out of the halls of memory until he's sure he's breathing her in. His heart swelled, aching with longing in his chest.

He turned away from the transparent surface and focused his attention on the chaotic organization of star charts on the small makeshift counter. He poured over them, determined to deftly navigate his course.

Wickedly, his heart had wondered to evenings among the clouds. He could feel her petite frame folded in his arms as they swirled together, somewhere between earth and sky, gazing languidly into each other's eyes as the heavens flicker innocently above them.

Her name was a cunning siren that caressed his consciousness, bidding him to dash himself on the rocks of futility. His fingers slid down the surface of the crystal and for a moment he was touching her face. He wondered as he gazed into the past, if she was thinking of him… if she missed him…

_Lois…_

The surface of his lips tingled with the thought of their parting kiss. Her memories mingling with his own, doubling his perception as well as his suffering. Her voice echoed in the hallways of his mind, he closed his eyes momentarily surrendering to her siren's call.

_"Clark…"_

He shook his head forcefully, stabbing a key on the control panel in a frantic attempt to escape his mind's rebellious musings. For a moment he could almost hear the sound of her voice as if she was beside him, within him…

_"Scanning…" _a disembodied female voice blared, chasing away the haunting sound of Lois's voice. After a moment… _"External Life Force Scan... Negative..." _The voice said flatly, lacking any warmth.

He snorted. The answer could be reliably predicted at this point. Months of travel, and the only variation was the view outside his window. An anguished sigh roses from his very core and expelled with a small opaque puff of cold air.

His body would not tolerate the journey without the light of the yellow sun. He needed to sleep, to rest, but his mind refused to find the restoration of slumber. Instead it prowled like a caged lion throughout the night, leaving him to awaken more drained than before he lay down.

Behind a gossamer curtain, a small encasement waited for him just feet from the main control panel. Long hollow cylinders lined the walls and ceiling waiting for the battery reserved power to be engaged and provide the life-giving light that has been harnessed for this very purpose.

A pod was nestled beneath the tubing, designed to hold him secure through the chaotic journey. It was here he would enter the final stasis that should carry him through the remainder of his journey, floating in a organically induced oblivion until either he reached his destination or an event interrupted the programmed course of events.

But there was uneasiness in sleep. There was no control should something happen, defenseless even more so than he was before. He rubbed his bloodshot eyes. But he_ must _rest. The harsh physical conditions have only contributed to his mental deterioration. Lois seemed to coat his every thought, his every action. Should his consciousness remain, his sanity, he feared, would not.

After a few keystrokes, he set the ship to complete the journey on automatic pilot. He wrapped the quilt more securely around his shoulders and dragged himself into the waiting stasis chamber and surrendered himself to the promise of untormented oblivion..

*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*

_"Lois…"_

Lois bolted awake in bed, her body catapulting forward into a seated position. Her eyes were wide, peering into the darkness wildly before the waking overcame the reality of dreams. She wrapped her arms around herself, a feeling of anxious foreboding thrumming through her bloodstream.

_Clark…_

Lois shook her head to clear out the cobwebs of the dream. _For a moment… _Reality descended aggressively casting out images of reverie and once again Lois was reminded of her situation, and her solitude.

Her fingers slid down her arms and gingerly traced their way to her belly. Even from beneath the concealing warmth of the bedclothes it rose in a graceful curve, evidencing the baby growing inside her. Lois gently smoothed the blankets over her midsection, resting her hands protectively across its expanse.

Echoes of a dream tempted her eyes to lift to the window beside her bed inviting her to peer into the night outside. A complex mix of emotions washed over her as her eyes followed the riotous pattern of stars, uncomforted by the grandeur of the sparkling tapestry.

Every star seemed to wink smugly at her as if it knew something she didn't. As she had every night, she scanned the heavens hoping in vain to catch a glimpse, of a ship, a cape, she cared not which. Something to chase away the uncertainty that taunted her every hour of every day. Lois exhaled and lifted the covers from her legs before swinging them over the side of the bed.

Her heartbeat pulsed rhythmically in the soles of her swollen feet as she slid them into the comforting warmth of the slippers Clark had bought for her two Christmases ago. She paused to revel in their softness for a moment before dragging her feet, one after the other toward the window.

It didn't matter which star he was hidden behind, she supposed. One light year or one hundred were equally as imposing and vast from her perspective. Still, she never stopped looking, hoping that one day she'd see a fiery streak across the sky and could begin to count the moments until she found herself once again in his arms.

Time, as it turned out, was an excellent mediator. The passion of anger had cooled, leaving behind the glowing embers of betrayal that even now had begun to settle into the cold and numb void of loneliness.

She was reasonably sure she had forgiven him, of course pregnancy had assaulted her hormones in a way she could not fully express. Earlier that week she had been reasonably sure she'd been justified in making Jimmy cry. In the stillness with only her overactive hormone-injected mind for company, she wasn't sure of much anymore.

She _did _know however, that when her thoughts turned to Clark, inevitably the tiny life inside her would flutter charmingly, coaxing her away from anger and plucking at the golden strands of affection for the man that had aided in its creation.

Despite the passage of time, over these past few months, her mind still hummed with the love revealed in the memories Clark had shared with her before he'd left. That day and its events had begun to lose their ability to stoke the fire of her anger. Increasingly, Lois found herself leaning an ever more attentive ear to the dulcet tones of an ethereal whisper that spoke of undying love that could overcome even the basest of betrayals.

Clark's thoughts and feelings floated languidly through her mind, mingling together with hers, intertwining, wrapping around her, much as he had done on their numerous flights together. It were those very thoughts that wooed her away from outrage and compelled her toward the benefit of doubt.

Lois had a way of letting her emotions get the best of her, however when it truly mattered, pertinent facts rose to the surface, causing her to ferret out the ultimately truthful conclusion with all the verve in which she pursued her headlines. As much as her aching heart longed to slip into a respite of bitterness and hatred, the presentation of facts and the overwhelming evidence of his love pulled her away from the gaping abyss into forgiveness.

The virtue, though powerful, did not seem to be a remedy for the pain solitude brought, however. Without her rage to keep her more tender emotions at bay, she regularly found herself given to tears she couldn't entirely blame on the sensitivity brought by expecting a child.

A cool finger of wind spirited into the room through the open window and caressed a tendril of chestnut hair away from her face, drawing her eyes to close at the memory of a strong warm hand doing the same. How she missed him.

Her eyes once again lifted to the heaven's wondering if they could be trusted with the precious cargo they possessed. Lois didn't know much about deep space but she imagined cold, dark, and dangerous were a few accurate descriptions. Her teeth worried at her lip as her thoughts turned toward what he could be enduring at this very moment.

She leaned her forehead against the window pane as a thread of worry slithered once again over the worn path it had created across her heart. The fear was ever present. The mission was a dangerous one, the distance unimaginable, and her intimate knowledge of the make up of a Kryptonian body taunted her with the fact that he would be just as vulnerable out there as any human once he left the strengthening light of the yellow sun.

Her sharp mind which served her well in the journalism field was her worst enemy as every day a new and exceedingly horrifying scenario formulated in her imagination. Visions of failing equipment and errant meteors flooded her days, and cobalt eyes filled with pain and sorrow haunted her nightmares.

Lois pushed off the glass and rocked back onto her heels before turning toward her computer. She reached for the lamp and snapped on the light. Her exhausted eyes scanned through stacks of source files and data in an attempt to replace the tormenting visions with the busyness of work.

In a world adjusting the absence of its protector, she had no shortage of stories to focus on. And she took advantage of that, seeking to further the cause of justice through words in an attempt to somehow fill the yawning chasm created by Superman's disappearance.

*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*

A shrill persistent tone echoed off the sensitive tunnels of his ears, ricocheting to the very heart of his nervous system, catapulting him from oblivion into consciousness with all the gentleness of an atom bomb.

He shot to a sitting position. Every muscle in his body seemed to groan out in protest all at once and he winced at the pain. Disoriented, he cracked open bleary eyes that were met with a veil of hazy white that for a brief moment caused him to wonder if he was seeing anything at all. With considerable effort he dragged a palm over one throbbing eye. _The noise. Has. To. Stop. _His ears clamored, ignoring the plight of the rest of his body.

Through a fog of disorientation and pain, he lifted himself from the confines of his bed… _No. Not bed. Chamber. The ship. How long have I... _His current situation bubbled into his consciousness. The journey, his decision, and Lois all came flooding back to his mind with as much agonizing clarity as the shrieking tone assaulting ears. He lurched forward, freeing himself of the silken confines. _I don't remember setting the alarm to 'torture' _, he thought wryly as his rubbery legs almost immediately gave way, sending him forward in a painful impact with the jagged surface of the crystalline wall. He bit the inside of his cheek and breathed through the newest arrival to his festival of pain.

As he braced himself against the door frame, waiting for the objections of his leg muscles to quiet, a slow realization dawned; _That wasn't a wake up call. It's an alarm. _A dagger of fear sliced its way into his heart, lending strength to his muscles as adrenaline surged through his veins. He threw himself forward toward the control panel that glowed to life at his approach. One by one the signal was echoed by the various crystal shards around him until the entire ship was bathed in an amber light that tried and failed to offer solace.

His eyes flew over the blinking panels, his fist slamming down on a small indentation that stopped the alarm and brought a merciful silence to the vessel save for the ringing in his ears.

A flat, opaque screen flashed in the corner of his vision, insisting on his attention. He turned his head, wincing slightly at the crick in his neck that only extended time in stasis could bring, and focused blurred eyes on the monitor. A hail of Kryptonian symbols swirled across the screen in a frantic dance.

He extended his hand and entered a few keystrokes that sparked to life the familiar if not underwhelmed voice of the ship's programming.

_"Repeating scan sequence..._

Life Support Chamber. At. 35. percent.

Elapsed time; Point six Earth years.

_Percentage of completion 78. percent..."_

Ebony eyebrows gathered together in confusion. Not nearly enough time had passed nor distance traveled...

_"Scanning..." _the monotonous voice continued, interrupting his thoughts with a declaration that caused time to stop.

_"External Scan..._

Positive...

Life. Located."


	4. Minor Complications

-1**Title:** Fait Accompli - Chapter Two: Minor Complications  
**Author: **brdwaybebe  
**Spoilers: **SII and then it goes AU ... WAY AU.  
**Rating:** PG  
**Word Count:** 2,526 words  
**Notes:** Thanks again to my magnificent beta, Saavikam. My goal is to make her proud through the lessening of my typos...and the improving of my science knowledge! *hugs her*

THANK you all so much for the incredible reviews! The new "policy" of sending the next chapter to the most helpful/insightful reviewer was a rousing success as the feedback actually enriched some of the plot points I was unsure about. I can't tell you how much what you say helps! Even a short review seems to trigger something with the muse! So this week my thanks to QuiltingDiva who has been a constant source of encouragement through out this process!

I'm going to continue sending out advanced previews to the most helpful/insightful reviews based on what I said above. You guys really as amazing and I want to say thanks in the only way I know how

Ok enough yammering from me! To the chappie!

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Fait Accompli – Chapter 2

_Come __**on!**_

Lois glared at the back of the cab driver's head, hoping the daggers she was hurling at him would either inspire him to drive faster or cause his product-covered greasy hair to burst into flame. At this point she found both options equally appealing.

She shifted uncomfortably on the faded green vinyl of the back seat, which reeked of cigarette smoke and very old, very cheap perfume. Her face was flushed with heat and perspiration beaded on her forehead and upper lip despite the chill of autumn. Lois pulled at the neckline of her sweater, drawing it away from her body, allowing the cool air from the cracked window to flow over her fevered skin.

A shaking hand lay protectively across her swollen belly. Her fingers ran lightly back and forth in an attempt to calm, herself or the baby, she wasn't sure.

"Turn here," she hissed through gritted teeth, bracing herself for the dilapidated terrain of the side-street and subsequent alley.

The drive must have taken a clue from her tense expression and uncomfortable posture, and he eased the cab slowly over the pavement that was more pot hole than cement at this point. With an uncertain glance, he rolled the cab to a halt.

"Are you sure this is it lady?"

Lois handed him the fare, along with a tip. She nodded and favored him with a small smile. She cracked open the door of the cab and stepped a fashionable set of flats onto the damp ground. Mindful of her audience, she rose from the car as gracefully as possible, her face set into a casual mask as if it was the most common thing in the world for a woman in her sixth month of pregnancy to be dropped off in a remote back lot.

After a moment of acceptable hesitance, the cab driver put the car in reverse and pulled the vehicle from the alley, leaving her alone at her destination.

Despite the condition of the buildings around it, the cement face of the modest building was a fresh, clean white belying the routine care it received. Lois proceeded across the expanse of smooth new pavement to a chain-link fence.

A soft shuffling sound rose from the shadows as a man stepped into the light toward her.

Lois gasped. Her expression changed from one of surprise to impatience as she recognized the identity her companion.

"What do you think you're doing, Emil?!? I may be pregnant, but I can still drop you like a stone!"

Dr. Hamilton stepped more fully into the light and ran a hand over his thinning silver hair and offered her an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, Miss Lane…"

She shook her head. "I told you to stop with the whole cloak and dagger routine, anyway. This whole thing is clandestine enough without you lurking around in the shadows." Her hand cut through the air as she gestured. "And for goodness sakes, I'd say we know each other well enough now for you to call me Lois."

"Alright…Lois."

Dr. Hamilton smiled sheepishly and produced a small key card. He stepped over to the fence and ran it over a small white box. There were a series of beeps and the cover slid open. Emil typed a few numbers into the keypad and pressed his thumb down on a black screen. More beeping was heard followed by the weighty _thunk_ of the fence locks releasing. He beckoned for her to follow him before shoving his hands into the pockets of his suit coat.

Lois would rather have traded the shadows of the dark alley for the well-lit, albeit sterile environment of the front lobby. But her circumstance required discretion and she doubted her ever increasing volume of visits to S.T.A.R. Labs would go unnoticed for long.

She followed him down the long twisting corridors. They were familiar to her now, so she would have had no trouble finding her own way to the small makeshift medical facility hidden beneath the main lab, but she suspected Emil enjoyed the excitement of the situation more than he cared to admit.

Six months ago she had never expected to be here. When Lois had discovered she was pregnant, she wasn't sure where else to turn. Given the extraordinary circumstances of the baby's conception, she didn't want to risk sharing this most precious of secrets with some faceless doctor at Metropolis General. Lois had spent enough time there poking around for leads on a story to know how easily word got out for the right price.

And Dr. Hamilton had proven to be an incredible confidante. The closed-mouthedness that had infuriated her as a reporter, was her greatest comfort as a patient.

In the early stages of the pregnancy, Emil had been a voice of gentle truth. He rejoiced with her in the news, but cautioned her of chances that her body would accept and nurture a child whose DNA was of such vastly different origins.

Clearly he'd misjudged the determination of Lois Lane.

The pregnancy had been no walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination, but Lois had ignored Dr. Hamilton's words of caution and let her joy over carrying Clark's child run rampant.

Having never been with child, Lois had nothing to compare the symptoms to. She found the nightmares that had plagued her in the first months of her pregnancy to be completely unfounded. To this day her stomach had yet to pulse with ethereal light and she remained unharmed by the power of tiny super-powered feet.

Together she and Dr. Hamilton had thus far successfully navigated this untraveled terrain with minimal anomalies or pain. The regiment of nutrient-rich foods and various high concentrated vitamin packs, along with frequent sunbaths had nourished the possibility of a miracle into reality while simultaneously giving her the best tan she'd had since she was in college.

There had been no complications.

Until now.

Lois' bravado escaped with her breath as a wave of pain rocked through her. She let out a strangled cry and Emil was at her side in an instant. His alarmed face blurred in and out of focus momentarily before his arms wrapped around her and the compelling call of unconsciousness overwhelmed her.

*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*

His fingers shook as they flew across the keys of the console. He set the scan into motion once again, unable to absorb the findings based upon earlier reports.

No matter the number of scans, the results remained the same.

_"External scan results; positive. Life Located."_

His weary body found its second wind as he watched with rapt attention the visual trajectories that flitted across the monitor. Tiny pinpoints of light danced back and forth as the console gathered and then lifted into a three-dimensional translucent image that slowly began to rotate before his eyes.

A jagged expanse of land rose into view, bobbing somewhat precariously in his field of vision. The mass was not entirely what he'd expected. It was nowhere near spherical in shape; instead it appeared to be an exceedingly large fragment of a whole. The haphazard constitution lacked any kind of symmetry and suggested at a violent rending in the it's past.

With a few more keystrokes he set another scan into motion.

Scanning...

His eyes forged themselves to the screen as he awaited the results. In a moment's time the answers came.

_"External scan is complete. Elements located; Boradium. Aurum. Kryptium. Cuprum. Arrgentum. Ferrum. Location Gravitational Pull 45.1 m/s2. Current Gravitational Acceleration 11.8 m/s2."_  
_  
Location analysis result: Koron. Location Analysis result. Krypton._

His eyes widened as his thunderstruck gaze lifted to the window as if somehow the answers to his questions would appear.

_Krypton? Impossible. This isn't even close to where the planet was originally located… _His eyes fell to the three dimensional projection, taking in the size and shape of the land mass. A cold, heavy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. If the planet had exploded as he'd supposed… _Perhaps this is all that's left… _he hypothesized darkly.

He slid his hand along the control panel, driving the ship forward, faster, closer.

The reports… it seemed impossible that life had been located. And yet… His heart tentatively fluttered in his chest as he leaned forward. In the inky blackness of space the feeble searchlight of the ship was unable to penetrate more than a few feet. He ached for the power once lent to him by the yellow sun as he once again bid the ship accelerate. According to the sensors, the remnant was comparatively not far off in the distance. A taunting voice nagged at him from the back of his mind… _Just because there is 'life' doesn't mean your people survived. You may have come all this way to find a rare species of shellfish._

He shook his head slightly, raising his shoulders against the onset of doubt. If there is even a chance… he mused. I have to take it… The ship roared to life around him as he bid it to lurch more forcefully into the unknown darkness.

_"Gravitational Acceleration 22.4 m/s2."_

There was a small thud on the nose of the ship as a small piece of space debris bounced off the crystalline surface. The sound was followed by several more with varying degrees of intensity. He trained his vision on the area ahead, his hands moving without thought across the keypads.

The monotone voice of the computer droned on;_ "Gravitational Acceleration 28.6 m/s2. Barrier ahead. Evasive maneuvers required."_

He wrapped his hands tightly around the controls. Commanding a ship, he found, was an entirely different experience than flying under his own power.  
The mechanics of his home planet, however natural, were not as organic as relying on his own body to navigate him through obstacles. And with the yellow sun a distant memory, he would have to rely on crystal rather than invulnerability to protect him. Jaw set, he struggled to apply the maneuvers that years of flight experience had taught him, concentrating on making the ship an extension of his body.

_"Gravitational Acceleration 35.3 m/s2. Warning. Balances overridden." _

The ship continued to pick up speed. The bits of rock had begun to rain on the uneven surface of the small craft. He cast a focused eye down to the sensor display. A large grouping of asteroids was hurtling through the emptiness of space toward his vessel.

And the size of the debris seemed to be growing.

A thin trickle of sweat slid from his hairline down the side of his face as he struggled to avoid the worst of the boulders that were now raining on the ship.

The console lit up, flashing a warm amber color. _Danger. Impact imminent. Evasive maneuvers required. _

In the center of his view, an asteroid the size of a small car bore down on him like a charging bull. He wrenched the controls to the left, hurling the ship off course and out of harm's way. The hulking rock roared past the main body of the ship, its bulk striking one of the long opaque spines extending from the hull. The impact tore the extension from the ship and sent the craft in to a violent spin.

_"Impact. Impact. Impact. Organic repair employed. Energy reserves activated. Life support charge at 17%."_

The ship groaned as the organic material that comprised the ship struggled to repair the damage caused by the collision. The stars in the distance whipped past the window as the ship rotated chaotically. His body was thrown across the main chamber, his limbs flailing like a rag doll until his head cracked violently against the inner wall. His head exploded with pain as survival instinct caused him to wrap his arms around the solid foundation of the control panel, hanging on for dear life.

A low rumbling shook the floor around him as the ship repaired itself enough to offset the out of control rotation.

The muscles in his arms shuddered with the force of his exertion before they finally gave way entirely, sending him sliding gently across the floor as the ship came to a stop. He lay there in stunned, exhausted silence, his breath wheezing as his chest rose and fell in desperate gasps for air. His heartbeat thundered through his pain-wracked skull and though the craft had ceased its lawless spiraling, the chamber around him continued to swim before his eyes.

A distant bellowing gained volume as he raised his throbbing head in time to see a large asteroid whistle past the nose of the ship, its vaguely clear surface glowing with a strange green hue.

His heart froze in his chest in a reflexive reaction. _Kryptonite. _

When planning this journey he had theorized that the substance without the addition of the yellow sun would be as harmless to him as it was a human. However, theorizing and applying were two very different things.

He braced himself for the oncoming assault to his senses that always accompanied the presence of his native mineral. This time however, the expected agony did not come. He exhaled, his breath escaping in a whoosh of relief.

His relief was short lived as there was a loud screeching followed by the rumble of a small explosion. The healthy thrum of working machinery was suddenly replaced by an eerie and all-consuming silence. He dragged himself to his feet, leaning heavily against the controls as the console graduated from a dark shade of amber to an angry crimson. A warning message flashed across the screen.

_"Danger. Gravitational Acceleration 41.4 m/s2. Thrust rockets failed. Emergency landing sequence initiated."_

Beyond the main viewing panel the first of the ship's spines began to burn brightly before darkening to a sickly brown and curling toward the main body. The vessel hurled fast and faster through space, drawn by a tremendous gravitational pull toward the mysterious landmass its course had been set for.

Below him, he could barely make out the beginning of the scabrous remnant of rapidly approaching terrain.

He pushed off the main console and launched himself across the room, seeking the safety of the stasis chamber.

As he sealed the stasis chamber, his thoughts wondered back to the woman who held his heart. Lois arrayed in azure material that floated about her in an ethereal cloud as they soared through the sky. The sleeves flowing behind her like wings, lending credence to his belief that she was no mere human, but an angel specially crafted to fill the yawning loneliness of his heart. Her eyes outshining the stars as they gazed with wonder into his, the blush of her cheek inviting his touch. His chest tightened at the memory of her lips, her smile, the feeling of her fingers intertwining with his. His heart splintered with sorrow at the thought of never seeing her again.

_Oh, Lois. I love you. I'm sorry. _

His arms throbbed with longing as he folded them around his legs, assuming a crash position. Her face remained ever-present in his mind's eye as he braced himself for impact.


	5. Nightmares

-1**Title:** Fait Accompli - Chapter Three: Nightmares  
**Author: **brdwaybebe  
**Spoilers: **SII and then it goes AU  
**Rating:** PG  
**Word Count:** 2,885 words  
**Notes:**I have been learning a LOT research-wise and it really brings a whole new angle to the story when you have all this information flying around in your head. But I also have new appreciation for all the people who write who do WAY more research than I ever could lol.

Many thanks again to the wonderful Saavikam!! I strive to make her proud with the upcoming science in this story. I think my tenses are improving!(?) *grins* Also thanks to Shad who got the sneak peek at this week's chapter. His insights were more helpful than he knows! Thank you for being so fantastic hon.

Same deal this week, the most helpful review will get a first look at the new chapter. I have really come to love this particular facet as not only do I get to say thank you, but I'm getting to know the people who are reading which has been such a sweet blessing.

Okay! Chapter time!

* * *

**Fait Accompli:**_"An accomplished fact; an action which is completed before those affected by it are in a position to query or reverse it."_

Fait Accompli – Chapter 3

*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*

"No!!!"

Lois' hoarse cry pierced the air as she was ripped awake by the force of her fright. The scream of a malfunctioning engine still echoed in her ears. Her eyes darted around the room. A veil of white gossamer, a huddled form inside, the tortured face of her beloved, all filled her vision. She raised her hands to reach out for him, only to find herself hindered by a restraint comprised of plastic tubing.

"Lois?" a familiar voice came gently.

The horrific scene before her faded, giving way at the insistence of the present. She blinked once, twice. The room around her slowly began to come into focus. An IV tube was connected to her right hand, the thin strip of clear tape pinched painfully at the tender skin of the back of her hand. She rubbed the skin distractedly. Her bleary eyes rose to take in the bed on which she sat. A warm, albeit scratchy, set of sheets was tucked with great care around her petite frame. Lois lifted her head still further to see Emil Hamilton standing at the foot of the bed. As her bloodshot hazel eyes met with concerned green, the memories of the nightmare flooded back to the forefront. Her face contorted in agony and a violent sob burned her chest with its force.

Emil's lanky frame made his way swiftly around the side of the bed. He hesitated momentarily before wrapping his wiry arms around her shoulders. Her fingers gathered into fists, filling her hands with the starchy material and marring the pristine surface of his lab coat. He rocked her gently, bearing the storm of her tears as she wailed in torment into the flatness of his chest.

_"I love you. I'm sorry. "_

Clark's sorrowful voice resonated over every fiber of her being. The defeat in his tone stabbed through her, restricting her ability to breathe. Despite all evidence to the contrary, the scene she'd just experienced felt more real to her than the comforting hand at her back or the rhythmic beeping of the monitoring equipment.

_"Clark!" _Her heart cried out frantically, attempting to bridge not only time and space… but impossibility.

A series of short, high-pitched tones sounded, and Emil's arms tightened around her.

"Lois. Lois! You need to calm down." Emil's voice was firm even in its gentleness. "Lois, your blood pressure is too high. We need to get it lowered. The baby…"

After a beat Lois raised her head. _Baby…_ The reminder of the life she was sustaining called her forth from the tenebrous grip of her thoughts and back to reality. Slowly, deliberately, she concentrated on relaxing one finger at a time, releasing her grip on Emil's coat.

"There you go…" Emil's voice was soothing, his hand comforting and stable on her back despite its awkwardness. "Just keep breathing… Oh thank goodness." He gestured to a person Lois couldn't see. "Leo, bring it here please."

There was a slight screeching sound that stirred the embers of horror in Lois' mind. Flashes of amber and red filled her vision. But this time she forcefully pushed them away and accepted the small, plastic oxygen mask that Emil offered her.

"That's right, Lois. Just breathe. _Slowly._"

_In. Out. _Lois focused on drawing long slow breaths from the clear plastic. She closed her eyes and willed herself not to entertain the disturbing images that haunted her with such frightening clarity. Slowly, she leaned her weight away from Emil and settled back against the pillows. Within a few moments the flush had almost completely drained from her cheeks and Emil felt comfortable with her abandoning the oxygen.

The golden-complected man, that Dr. Hamilton had called Leo, stood in easygoing silence on the other side of the bed. He was of clearly of Asian descent and his appearance was youthful. Lois ascertained that he couldn't have been much older than Jimmy. A dark shock of onyx hair fell across his forehead as he wrapped cool, gentle fingers around her wrist. He smiled softly at her before looking intently at his watch. He nodded slightly to Emil, signaling what Lois assumed was the all clear on her blood pressure. Leo patted her wrist reassuringly before gathering the oxygen tank and taking his leave.

Lois' eyes followed him as he left. With the soft clicking that signified the closing of the door, her attention turned back to Emil. One dark eyebrow rose in question. This had been the first time in six months she hadn't met with Dr. Hamilton alone.

"My son." He said in reply to her unspoken query. Emil's smile echoed that of the young man who had just left. "I met his mother in Korea during college. "He's been helping me for a number of years now on some of my more sensitive cases." He eyed her meaningfully. "Leo has a brilliant mind and I've found him to be a valuable asset. His intelligence is only rivaled by his discretion."

Lois' lip ticked up into a hesitant smile. "It sounds like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." She pulled the scratchy comforter more snugly around her midsection. "Does he…"

Emil shook his head. "He does not." The doctor rose from the bed and made his way to a filing cabinet in the corner. With another series of secretive keystrokes and print analysis, he opened it to pluck a thin manila folder from the second drawer. "This secret is not mine to tell."

She exhaled softly.

With a quick series of clicks, Dr. Hamilton put a pen to the file he had opened. His eyes scanned over the information, his lips pursed into a stoic line. He glanced at Lois out of the side of his eye.

Lois laid a hand over her midsection, "So, what happened, Emil?" she asked quietly, her thoughts turning back to the event that had landed her in the bed.

The doctor hesitated. Lois knew that look. Emil had not quite gotten over his discomfort with giving less than stellar news to the scary pregnant lady. He was used to dealing with chemicals and proteins, not tears and hormones, and from the way he was tapping that pen on the clipboard, she wasn't going to like what he had to say.

"Out with it, Emil," Lois said, her voice testy in an attempt to mask the apprehension swirling in her stomach.

Dr. Hamilton closed his chart and fixed his gaze on her. "Lois, am I right to assume you have been taking all of the vitamin supplements I have suggested for you, regularly and without fail?"

She lifted her head in ascent. "Of course."

Emil nodded in reply. "I thought as much."

Lois bit her lip. "Is something wrong? With me? The baby?"

"Well," He began. "Looking at your blood work there seems to be a number of deficiencies despite the supplements. Specifically your potassium and iron were low which I believe may be an answer to the cramping and pain you've been experiencing, as well as the fainting spells."

Lois laughed weakly. "I thought he was supposed to be the Man of Steel." Emil blinked at her. "Okay, I'll just start taking more vitamins and I'll be good as new."

"I'm afraid it's not as simple as that, Lois. We're still not sure how the baby will affect your body. If the child's absorption rate declines, you could find yourself in danger of an overdose. And overdosing on vitamins and minerals can be just as dangerous as a deficiency."

"All right," Lois said, her impatience momentarily overwhelming her anxiety. "So what is the game plan here, doc?"

Emil offered her a tight-lipped smile. She knew very well he severely disliked the nickname.

"A normal pregnancy is taxing on the body, but given the extraordinary circumstances of the child's parentage, it seems to require a greater amount of nourishment. The energy you spend on daily activities is better spent on seeing to the life of the baby," Emil said, his tone suggesting he was hunkering down for a debate.

Lois looked at him a moment before speaking. "Are you saying I need to take it easy until the baby is born?"

"The easier the better." He eyed her warily, unconvinced of her seemingly calm acceptance of the suggestion to take a step back from a life steeped in intrigue and action. "Lois, I recommend you to be on bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy. As the baby grows in size, its demands on your body will increase. With an ample amount of nutrition and conservation of energy the child should be fairly normal."

A bolt of panic shot through Lois at his choice of words. "What do you mean by 'fairly', Dr. Hamilton?" she asked, her fingers worrying at the blanket between her fingers.

Emil took off his glasses and pressed his fingers against the lids of his eyes. "Preliminary sonograms have shown the baby's lungs to be underdeveloped." At her frightened expression, he continued quickly, "This is not necessarily cause for alarm, there is quite a bit of time for them to develop more fully. Blood tests have shown a lower number of white blood cells, which could suggest a weak immune system. However, having little knowledge of the result of a mixture between human and Kryptonian genetics, perhaps it will not affect him as much as we think."

Lois' was rendered motionless as one word in particular clamored for her attention. "H…him?" Her features gathered momentarily as a wave of realization crashed over her. "I'm going to have a boy?"

Emil paused his medical monologue long enough to nod. He smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry. You said you didn't want to know," he murmured.

Through a veil of tears, Lois' eyes sparkled with joy. She shook her head and waved him off when words failed to find their way to her emotion-bound vocal chords.

Dr. Hamilton continued on about iron and potassium and an assortment of other vitamins Lois had never heard of. But his running commentary paled in comparison to the wonder flooding through her at the knowledge of her baby's sex. _A son. Oh, Clark… _

"Lois?" Emil's voice broke up the tormented pattern of her thoughts.

She lifted her eyes to him and offered a sorrowful smile. He was a man whose intelligence and personality were perhaps better suited to a laboratory than caring for patients. Despite that fact, these past several months, he had cared for her with a fierce diligence. Lois had found in Emil Hamilton a competent physician and a trustworthy friend.

He had also taken her relationship with Superman in incredible stride. No one would blame him for being curious, but he never pried. Ever the consummate professional, he never asked for more information than he needed. He seemed to understand the importance of her privacy after a long career keeping secrets of his own.

It was for these very reasons that Lois had felt comfortable opening up to him.

"Now, there is the matter of the night terrors…" he said gently.

Her thoughts returned to the images that had flashed with such horrific vibrancy before her mind's eye. _A ship, Clark inside, flashing lights, the screaming alarm…_

Hold on, Clark. Don't give up…I love you…

*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*

The pain was both all-consuming and insistent as it called him from oblivion with all the terrible persuasion of a siren. A low groan dragged itself from his lips. The unfamiliar sensation was fascinating. Aside from his blessedly brief encounters with kryptonite, pain had been almost entirely foreign to him. It also was incredibly efficient at alerting him that despite the violence of his landing…he was alive.

He drew in a shallow breath and winced as sparks of misery began at his chest and spread like fire over the battered expanse of his upper body. With greater caution, he began to take a mental inventory of his condition.

There was a gentle tickling sensation as something liquid slid over the surface of his hairline and onto his cheek. He cracked open one eye and found it hindered by a crimson film. Reflexively, he raised his hand to his face, grimacing slightly at the burning sensation that announced the nerves in his arm were alive and well.

Cautious fingers rubbed gently at his eyelids, coming away coated with the shimmering combination of sweat, grime, and blood. _Ah, blood. I remember you._ His wry chuckle twisted into another groan, the sound muffled by the proximity of his face to the dirt. _Dirt?_

He blinked a time or two in an attempt to clear his bleary vision. A large boulder came into focus a few feet in front of him. His cheek rested somewhat comfortably in a bed of loose gravel. He lifted his head and immediately regretted the decision as a sledgehammer of agony ripped through his skull. Holding his breath, he gingerly drew himself into a seated position. The change in altitude flooded him with dizziness and the rocks in front of him danced chaotically.

The stasis chamber lay on its side a foot or so away and largely intact. The cloth from his mother's quilt lay sullied and torn, stretched out like a pleading hand on the grayish landscape. His ironic grimace revealed a row of bloodstained teeth. He imagined it would have been more helpful in cushioning him from impact, if it hadn't been catapulted from the ship.

Further exploration found the ship in pieces on the crest of a nearby hillside. The hull had struck a jutting protrusion of rock and had split apart. A long trail of torn up earth extended behind it in a charred veil of destruction. Tongues of fire had satisfied their appetite on the main console and were just beginning to die out, leaving only the scorched remains.

Awestruck, he curled one leg under himself and leaned his weight against a nearby rock face. With great difficulty he attempted to stand. Suddenly a litany of pain roared through his right leg, stealing his breath and returning him to the ground. After a moment of throbbing anguish, he shifted his position on the loose surface of the pebbles and brought his screaming leg into the light of the fire.

He was unprepared for the sight that greeted him. Across his thigh, the charcoal fabric of his flight suit was stained with a growing pool of blood. Below the knee his calf was twisted at a disturbing angle. _I'm not going to make it if I don't stop the bleeding,_ came the horrific realization. He extended his body as best he could toward the stasis chamber, his fingers frantically grappling to take hold of the quilt mere inches out of his reach. His punished body cried out in protest as desperation carried him the last few inches and his hand closed around the softness of the cloth. He allowed his weight to carry him backwards into a sitting position and the material dragged through the dust and debris until it rested in his lap.

He ran a trembling hand over the dimpled softness. _Even now she watches over me._ A tear fought its way through the grit on his skin and made a silken trail down his cheek. With a sigh of regret he searched for a loose stitch and pulled.

The simple act of tearing the cloth into strips was taxing. He resisted the urge to rest, knowing the next temptation would be to give up all together. His fingers fumbled clumsily at the task through a debilitating haze of numbness. A chill had taken root in his body at the loss of blood and continually sapped at his strength. His hands ached as he secured the knot at his thigh. The fabric held fast, its surface transitioning from the colors his mother had chosen so lovingly into a terrifying and sickening scarlet.

Exhausted, he leaned back against the rock. His breath escaped in a series of panicked gasps as the gravity of his situation unloaded its full weight upon him. He was alone and severely injured on a strange planet with no means to get back home. The night had fallen, leaving him blind with no idea of his surroundings or what lurked outside the meager border of fire light. Yawning shadows stretched imposingly all around him, accompanied by unfamiliar sounds that tormented his ears on every breath of wind.

And then, he heard it.

_"Clark!"_

The faint echo of Lois' voice was like a warm blanket wrapping around his bruised frame.

_"Hold on, Clark. Don't give up..."_

He ignored the impossibility of the circumstance and clung to the sound of her voice, savoring it. His eyes fell closed, a quivering smile playing along the lines of his face.

"I'll try…" he whispered, his words slurring as his cheek rested against the cool surface of the rock.

_"I love you…"_

"Love you… too…" he sighed, as unconsciousness overshadowed him.


	6. Awakening

-1Fait Accompli Chapter 4: Awakening  
**Author:** Brdwaybebe  
**Spoilers:** SII and then it goes AU ... WAY AU.  
**Word Count:** 3,283 words  
**Rating:** PG  
**Notes:** Many thanks to AmeliaFaulks not only for her **AMAZINGLY** insightful reviews but also for agreeing to use her sneak peek at this week's chapter to try out her beta wings for me! I am so blessed with incredible friends. Also if you have never read any of Amelia's stories, you owe it to yourself to check them out. I am _**SUCH**_ a fan of hers and you will be too when you read her stories. I personally guarantee it.

Third week in a row and I've managed to stay on my "Post a Chapter Every Sunday" schedule! YAY! So I think I can effectively say – expect a new chapter every Sunday. I usually send out the preview to the most helpful/insightful review from the past chapter on Friday, then give the chapter a bit of a polish and post it sometime early Sunday morning. Stay tuned!

This chapter is where things really start ramping up and some questions are being answered. I am beside myself with excitement as we get to this part of the story and stuff can start unfolding! Thanks again to KalaLaneKent for the hand-holding and pep-talking. You are amazing my dear.

Ok! Chappie Time! I hope you like it!

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Fait Accompli Chapter 4: Awakening  
*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*

Emil was just finishing up with their weekly examination, when an uncharacteristically quiet Lois finally spoke up. "Emil, is insanity a symptom of pregnancy?" she murmured."

A smile tugged briefly at his lips before he recognized the genuine apprehension coloring her features. His expression sobered and he took off his glasses to look at her. "Not to my knowledge, Lois." He patted her arm lightly before continuing, "The varying levels of hormones can often be trying. When she was pregnant with Leo, my Anna, would cry at the drop of a hat. I would often come home to find her in pieces over a Hallmark commercial or consumed by guilt for killing a spider. But it passed after a time."

Lois nodded, her expression unconvinced.

"Why do you ask, my dear?" he asked, his bushy hair bounced ridiculously as he tilted his head.

A quick gathering of eyebrows, a tiny self deprecating flinch and Lois turned her attention to him. "It's probably all in my head." She began with a humorless chuckle.

Emil nodded encouragingly. "Even so…"

Lois exhaled, shaking her head slightly. "Well. A month or so ago," she pressed the palm of her hand gently against her temple before sliding her fingers distractedly through her hair, "I guess it was right around six months into my pregnancy, I started having…episodes…"

A wooly eyebrow lifted slightly. "Go on."

She took another breath, her cheeks bowing out gently as she slowly released the extra air. "This is going to sound just plain crazy." She muttered, more to herself than to her friend. "I'd see a spacecraft hurtling through space. And his voice..." Lois closed her eyes as if to protect herself from her words. "Saying my name."

Emil rubbed at the base of his chin. "Superman's voice?"

Lois nodded shortly. "At first I thought they were dreams. I had nightmares for weeks after he left, but nothing like this. This felt..." Her jaw worked as she searched for the right word. "Real."

Dr. Hamilton exhaled softly. "Lois..."

Lois eyes filled with tears of frustration. She batted them away, a vain attempt it seemed, as fresh tears gathered and fell as quickly as she could remove them."I know! I know how crazy it sounds. But I can't shake the feeling that he's speaking to me somehow. And the other day, when I collapsed..." Her voice quivered at the memory. "I heard him again. I saw a spine-covered ship made of crystal in the process of an emergency landing, headed for some random planet. I saw him balled up inside a white chamber." A sob broke apart her words. "And he told me he was sorry...I could feel him..." she choked before tears overcame her once again.

Emil rolled his chair to the desk beside him and drew a few tissues from the box upon it. When he returned, Lois' eyes were distant as if she were reliving the tormenting visions. He touched her arm lightly and passed her a handful of tissues.

Lois shook herself and took the them from his hands, dabbing at her eyes and loudly blowing her nose. "I didn't know what to do. If it was a hallucination responding was insane, but I couldn't help myself. I cried out, telling him not to give up, to hold on, and that I loved him." Her eyes dropped to the bit of cloth in her hands. "Which is completely nuts and unhealthy....but...he answered me, Emil." Her features crumpled slightly as she swallowed painfully. "He told me he'd try..." She shook her head. "I'm going crazy..."

"I don't think you are." Emil said in a tone that caused her to lift her gaze to his face. His eyes were as wide as saucers behind the glint of his glasses.

"You don't?" she whispered.

He shook his head. "Lois, when Superman came to me the day he was planning to leave, we spoke in great detail about the journey he would be taking. We discussed not only the location of the planet, but also how he would get there. I believed he needed to proceed with caution when utilizing technology he only knew of in theory. I was concerned about the effects the absence of a yellow sun would have on his body, his need for food..." At her pained expression, Emil waved his hands in apology. "I'm sorry. The point I'm trying to make is, he showed me a schematic of the vessel he was planning to use on his mission." He paused a moment. "And it was remarkably similar to the one you are describing."

There was a small strangled noise, a combination of a hiccup and a sob that bubbled from her chest. Her fingers flew to her throat, rubbing absently at her collarbone as she digested his words. Lois' face glowed with hope. "So...it's possible that..." A joyous smile was born and died on her lips all within the span of a breath, as her features darkened in fearful revelation. "If I am hearing him... Oh God... Emil... the ship." The color drained from her cheeks.

Emil covered Lois' hand with his own. "Now, there may be a reason not to panic. The white chamber you saw, that was the stasis chamber. He planned to use it to pass the time and maintain his strength during his mission by entering into a kind of suspended animation. It was designed to protect him as he would be out of commission during its use. Even if the vessel..." he cast a cautious glance toward Lois, "Even if there were difficulties...theoretically he would be safe inside the chamber."

Lois' mouth screwed upwards, her expression thoughtful.

"That explains why your dreams began all these months later. He was, in essence, asleep for all this time. Him rising to consciousness triggered the 'episodes.' If he was inside it again... perhaps that is the reason for the interruption of contact."

"Perhaps..." she said, nodding slowly.

Emil could almost hear the gears turning in Lois' head. "It's quite extraordinary when you think of it." he mused. "Amazing really. One wonders how this link was established."

An endearing shade of red colored Lois' cheeks. "I told you about the kiss the day before he left…" She wrapped her arms around her shoulders. "Despite his intentions, he ended up sharing his memories rather than taking mine." Her eyes took on a fiery light at the memory. "My guess is that's how he and I ended up on an intergalactic conference call."

She sighed, turning her gaze to her confidante. "Emil, I wish you would have told me he was planning to leave." Her tone was more wistful than accusing.

Emil exhaled slowly. "I know, Lois. But the burden of trust is one I take very seriously. Just as you and I have entered into a relationship that requires absolute secrecy, the same is true of the friendship I enjoy with Superman." He examined his hands a moment before continuing. "Of course, now knowing the depth and tragedy of this miss-communication..." he trailed off.

"But also I can't imagine telling him not to seek out the possibility of his people's survival." she added quietly.

The older man nodded. "But he would never have left had he known." His eyes fell to Lois' generously swollen midsection. "In the years Superman has been visiting me, I can not tell you how many times your name found its way into our conversations. Though the times he told me about his personal life were few and far between, he would often speak of you and when he did, his face took on a countenance I've never seen from him before. He could not more hide his love for you than you can hide yours for him. There is no doubt in my mind that he loves you deeply. It will be a dream come true for him to return to find you having born his child."

The conversation had taken on a more hopeful tone and Lois felt her spirits rising. She nodded in agreement, through a sheen of tears that went largely unnoticed.

"The silver-lining now is this newly discovered link. Perhaps once you have mastered its use, measures can be taken to remedy the misfortune of the past."

Her expression grew stoic. "But, it's been two days and I haven't felt anything. Not a glimmer..."

Emil smiled gently, "Well perhaps you just need to practice my dear. Perhaps he isn't the only one who can initiate contact. Now that we know what is causing these episodes, we can- "

A slow grin bloomed on Lois' face. "You're right!" She began removing the plastic disks from her body that had been placed there to monitor her vital statistics. "That's exactly what I'll do!" She swung her legs over the side of the bed and entered into full throttle as she began to search for her shoes.

"Now, Lois…Lois!" Emil rose and crossed the room. "Remember you're supposed to be on bed rest!" Emil chased after her and picked up the one shoe that she _wasn't_ stuffing her foot into, and held it hostage until she paused in her exuberant activities to give him her attention. "Promise me that first and foremost, your concern will be to follow my instructions for rest to the letter.

Lois exhaled impatiently, but her eyes were alight with the possibility of the miraculous. "I promise. Emil. I promise!" she exclaimed, holding out her hand for her shoe.

Emil looked at her somewhat warily. "You'll need to make arrangements..." he said "Do you have someone who will be able to care for you?"

A somewhat winded Lois was leaning against his shoulder as she popped the other shoe onto her foot at his words she stilled. She hadn't considered that. Lois released Emil's shoulder and rose to her full albeit petite height. In a blink, the smile had returned to her face. "Don't worry about it. I know the perfect person."

She planted a kiss on the scientist's cheek and with a smile disappeared through the doorway.

*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*

"…absolutely impossible." A deep gruff voice pried through the oppressive darkness.

"Stranger things have happened, my husband. Look around you. Would you ever have imagined us in such a circumstance?" A low and melodious female voice replied, her tone patient, but firm.

"Still, it is far more likely that he was dispatched by Teivel in order to learn our location."

There was a soft chuckle. "Then Teivel isn't the threat he used to be. Yaron, he was barely alive when we found him."

"It was better for you to have left him than to endanger us by bringing him here. Your touch is far too soft, my heart." The roughness of his voice warmed slightly in affection.

"Perhaps, but I see him as no threat, the condition he is in." A crackle, then the sound of something being dragged over earth. A fire. There was a small cautious pause. "And then there is the matter of the crest."

Another pause.

"Yes. I admit I am most curious about that. If he was sent by Teivel, it does seem an elaborate plot." His voice was thoughtful. There was a rustling of leaves and a shifting of sound as the man rose to his feet. "Speaking of which, it is time I relieved my brother from watch." There was a light smacking sound of lips meeting.

"Be safe, my love." Her voice came hushed and colored with concern.

A metallic clinking, the sliding of leather against steel, then, "Always." With a series of ever-receding footfalls, he was gone.

Time passed. Impossible to tell how much. Then suddenly, more rustling. Closer now. A light and airy voice hummed tunelessly nearby.

A cool moist sensation set to work extinguishing the fire on his brow. The softness of a cloth being gently applied to his face drew him out of the dream-like haze that clung to him.

He struggled a moment before his eyelids answered his command. He blinked once, twice. A fair-skinned apparition hovered just above him, out of focus. The foremost thought on his mind found its way to his lips, "Lois?" he sighed weakly.

Hair of gold, rather than mahogany fell in long curls around slight shoulders, hiding her face from view as she leaned away from him. Not a moment later, she returned to his field of vision with a small bowl filled with a sweet-smelling greenish paste.

With great care, she dipped two fingers into the bowl and pressed them to the swollen flesh of his cheek. A fresh, mint-like burn spread over the already tender area and he sucked in a painful breath.

"Oh!" she gasped, her face came into view by way of two large blue eyes that were wide with surprise. "I'm sorry! You're awake! You've been moaning that same word over and over now for almost two days, I had grown used to it. I was so looking forward to you waking up so you could tell me what it means!" She wiped her hands off on a rough-looking square of brown material. "My name is Viana of the house of Dal, but that won't mean anything to you now would it stranger? After all, I've never seen you before and-"

"By all the stars and planets, girl, if that fever didn't send him into madness, your incessant chatter will certainly push him in headlong!" an older woman exclaimed from the doorway of what appeared to be a large tent-like structure.

"Oh hello!" The young girl's enthusiasm was irrepressible. She cast an impish look in the direction of their visitor before launching into another rapid fire monologue. "Avesa will take good care of you! She is the best healer in all of Lurvan! I just know she'll have you up and as good as -"

"Viana! Away!" Avesa trumpeted in affectionate annoyance.

The young sprite of a girl smiled brightly at him before flitting away. Avesa watched her leave, a bit of a smile softening her stern expression.

"So you have decided to visit with us after all." She stood at a bit more of a distance than his previous caretaker, her arms folded in front of her. The woman appeared to be in her late-fifties. She was of solid stature, a long unremarkable rust-colored garment framing her matronly form. Dull red hair was gathered atop her head in a quick bun. There was a motherly grace that touched her movements as she crossed the enclosure to a wooden stand in the corner.

The sound of liquid being poured caused the surface of his parched tongue to ache.

"I am Avesa." She said unceremoniously. "And you gave us quite a scare, young man. We worried perhaps you would not survive. One with a fever such as yours is in for a battle, to be sure." She smiled gently. "It appears you have the spirit of a warrior."

She turned to face him, a small golden goblet in her hand. It seemed out of place in the rustic environment of the tent. The gold of the surface shone forth dully through innumerable layers of dents and scratches, but the quality of the vessel was unmistakable.

The woman perched herself at the lip of the bed and hesitated momentarily before sliding a bracing hand beneath his head. "Here." She said. "This will help."

She touched the smoothness of a vessel to his dry, cracked lips. He eyed her warily a moment before the power of his thirst overwhelmed his apprehension. The burgundy liquid was rich and sweet, warming him like wine as he felt it travel through his body.

His body groaned with protest as he made a painful attempt to sit up. With a clenched his jaw, he held his breath and shifted into a position that allowed him to consume the drink under his own power.

He leaned back his head, draining the last of the strange and wonderful concoction. Already his head felt a little clearer. "Thank you," he said thickly, his eyes flickering in disappointment at the emptiness of the cup.

Avesa caught his look and smiled widely. "It seems you have the thirst of one, too." She rolled onto her feet and fetched the pitcher, bringing it back with her to his bedside.

His lip twitched upwards in slight embarrassment at his transparency, but he brought the cup forth with enthusiasm as she motioned toward him with the pitcher.

Filling his glass, she chuckled. It was the same low rich sound that he seemed to remember hearing earlier. His eyes narrowed as he tried to capture the memory before it faded back into the fog of his previous stupor.

"Do you have a name, or are you content to be called 'Stranger'…" her brown eyes twinkled curiously behind the hood of graying eyelashes.

A small smile was visible as he nodded from behind the cup. "Kal El."

Avesa had gone motionless. He heard her breath catch. The woman's face had grown pale, her jaw dropped in shock. There was a loud crash as the pitcher slipped from her hand and shattered on the hardened soil of the floor. The contents of the the vessel over her feet, which seemed to snap her out of her astonishment and back to the present. "Oh!" she exclaimed.

Instinctively, Kal El attempted to help her, but a wave of pain slammed through his leg, causing stars to explode in his vision. He slumped back into the bed.

Using the disruption to turn away from him, she gathered the pitcher from the floor and stumbled across the room. She braced herself, one hand curling around the wood of the nearby table.

"Did I say something wrong?" he asked through clenched teeth as he waited for the pain to pass.

Avesa was busily rubbing at the burgundy liquid that had splash onto her apron. "Oh no no… It's just that…" She gave one final swipe at the stained material before making a show of carefully folding the rag she'd been holding and setting it aside. Her hand trembled as she lifted it to her hair, batting away a stray lock and tucking it behind her ear. "I suspected as much when I saw the crest of the House of El emblazoned across your chest." She pushed off the table and made her way back to the bedside. "But to hear it from your own lips is shocking nonetheless."

His eyebrows furrowed. "You know of the House of El?" he said incredulously.

Avesa hesitated a moment before relenting with a cautious nod. "I do." she said slowly, her features pulling into a hard line of apprehension.

His eyes fused to her features as if just by looking he would find the solutions to the mysteries that had haunted him all his life. "Then I have many questions." Kal El murmured.

His caretaker dropped her eyes to her lap under the intensity of his gaze. Something was clearly wrong. "Aye, Kal El. I trust you do." She seemed to steel herself and when she raised her head, her eyes were haunted. "And I fear you will not rejoice in the answers you receive."


	7. Extreme Measures

-1Fait Accompli Chapter 5: Extreme Measures  
**Author:** Brdwaybebe  
**Spoilers:** SII and then it goes AU ... WAY AU.  
**Word Count:** 3,065 words  
**Rating:** PG  
**Notes:** Thanks to my wonderful beta; Saavikam who never fails to amaze me with her knowledge. I learn something every time she looks over my work. I'm eternally grateful to her for her patience and all around awesomeness!

Sunday comes quickly! This week was a bit of a nail biter! I was worried I wouldn't make my deadline when all of a sudden: Kablam! It nearly finished itself! But sadly the timing of that didn't allow for me to send out a chapter preview this week. Maybe I'll send previews to two people next week

We are starting now to get into the question answering part of the story. I am SO excited, but working hard not to rush into everything that needs to be said. I am thankful for all the feedback - it's really helping me establish a pace for this! Thank you guys for being so awesome!

And now: Chapter 5! I hope you like it!

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Fait Accompli Chapter 5: Extreme Measures  
*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*

"Before we get into the past, Kal-El, we must see to the present and ensure your future." Avesa sat on a small stool beside the bed and began to work at the linens wrapped around his shin.

Kal-El groaned as she gingerly pressed against the wound on his leg. The limb itself was encased within two firm wooden planks that held it in place. The flesh, once covered by bandages was now exposed to the air and Avesa's skilled gaze.

"This was among the worst breaks I have seen in all my days as a healer." Her gaze traced the jagged gash on his shin where his bone had at one time protruded. Neat, precise stitches lined the ridge of the joined flesh which was still an angry riot of reds and purples.

As he watched her work, Kal-El sent up a silent thanks that he had not been awake for the procedure that had returned the bone to its rightful position.

"It appears the bone is setting properly, but it is _imperative_ that you do not move the leg as it heals. I will need to formulate a casing to prevent the appendage from moving and thereby disrupting the healing process. However, there is an aggressive infection that has taken root beneath the skin. I have been monitoring since we brought you here, it was this very infection that caused your fever. Unless it is treated, the wound will grow septic, possibly reaching your blood and further threatening your life. I have seen many such infections before." Her expression was guarded but there was no mistaking the haunted look in her eyes.

His breath caught slightly as a thread of worry looped around his lungs. This was hardly a cutting edge facility. He could only imagine the difficulties she'd had to deal with in such a place. "Were you able to treat them?" Kal-El asked. He tried and failed to keep his gaze from finding its way to the discolored and oozing flesh of his leg, and his stomach lurched at the sight.

Avesa nodded distractedly, her focus inward as she made her way once again to the wooden stand in the corner. The woman plucked a few cloths from the cabinets and gathered a few bottles. "For the most part… The treatment is highly effective, but nearly unparalleled in its pain, I'm afraid." Her expression was grave.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in the entranceway to the tent. A skittish young lady stood uncertainly just inside the speckled canvas. He judged her to be in her late teens. She was dark of hair and eye, her rich chocolate hair hanging nearly to her waist within the confines of a thick braid. The girl had a willowy frame and so slight was she, that it seemed that any wayward gust of wind could easily carry her away.

In her hands she clutched a small clay jar. Her lips were pursed, held tightly between her teeth as she looked to Avesa for reassurance. Clearly the presence of a stranger had set the entire encampment on edge.

Avesa followed Kal-El's gaze and waved the girl forward. "Ah. This is Zimna." Avesa said, "She is not as talkative as her sister, but she misses very little." The older woman encouraged the girl with a gentle smile.

Zimna stepped forward, her eyes taking in everything. When her stoic gaze found his, Kal-El gave a small smile that went unreciprocated. She handed the clay jar to Avesa.

"Zimna, if you would…" The healer gestured to the small chair beside the bed. Zimna hesitated only a moment before taking her place just beside his head.

Avesa turned her eyes once again to him, raising the jar into his line of vision. "We have found the natural surroundings of the forest to be very accommodating when it comes to healing herbs and various medicines. But we have yet to find anything as adept at warding off infection as this creature."

She removed the top from the jar and tilted it in his direction. In the dim light of the tent, at first the container appeared to be empty. As his eyes adjusted, he saw something very small skittering around the inside of the jar.

"The deeju beetle has a defensive secretion that wards off predators. We have also found its ability to combat infection and promote healing incredibly effective. It is so powerful that the results far outweigh the discomfort of its application." Her gaze dropped to the gaping expanse of his wound.

Kal-El's eyes widened as they lifted to his caretaker. _She can't be serious._

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zimna wince slightly. She reached within the folds over her skirt and produced a long round stick. "Here, bite down on this." Zimna murmured softly, offering the barest ghost of a smile. She placed the stick between his teeth and took his hand in hers.

Avesa dribbled a bit of what felt like oil over the wound. A warm sensation spread over the skin and it began to tingle slightly. "This will help to numb the pain somewhat," she said, her eyes flashing apologetically as she snipped at a stitch or two with a tiny pair of scissors.

He could see the anxiety in both of their faces, wondering perhaps how violently his reaction would come. Trust was coming by necessity rather than experience. Kal-El took a deep breath and braced himself. He smiled nervously at Avesa and nodded his ascent.

Avesa's head dipped slightly in recognition and she lowered the surface of the jar to the entrance of the wound. She tapped the bottom of the vessel once, twice, before a tiny black form fell from the container onto his leg.

His heart slammed against the wall of his chest as he felt the tiny creature's legs tickling across the surface of his skin. A thin sheen of sweat burst forth on his forehead as the beetle slipped inside.

Curious sensation bloomed into mild discomfort. Mild discomfort ignited into the sizzling burn of pain. He held his breath as bit by bit the flame graduated into an inferno that spread over every inch of his leg. His teeth sank into the wood between his teeth and a low growl of agony erupted from his throat.

The pain seemed to be everywhere. Frantic nerve endings sent out panicking signals all over his body until his entire being seemed to thrum in rhythm with the symphony of misery. Zimna's grip was surprisingly strong for such a delicate girl as she clasped her hands around his, returned his force with that of her own.

Kal-El was dimly aware through the haze of pain that Avesa was mopping the sweat from his brow, murmuring words of encouragement. After what seemed an eternity, he felt her hands working at the heart of his agony. There were a series of sharp pricks as she pulled the creature from the depths of his flesh and replaced it in the jar.

His entire body shook with pain and exhaustion, the residue left behind by the beetle still laying siege to his insides. Wheezing, labored gasps puffed against Zimna's hair, sending it to swaying back and forth in front of his pain-glazed eyes. His gaze fell to her hand which was still wrapped around his, her fingers red from the pressure of his grip.

With a long, slow intact of breath, he loosened his hold on the girl's fingers. He lifted his eyes to hers in a mixture of apology and gratitude. The young woman's face softened into a smile, with a gentle shake of her head she rose from her place beside him and made her way out of the tent.

"She likes you," Avesa noted as she sank into the now vacant chair at the head of the cot. "And it is a boon in your favor to earn her regard. Zimna is well known to be an excellent judge of character." The healer smiled down at him. She dipped a fresh cloth in a basin of water and squeezed it out before applying it to his forehead.

Kal-El answered with a smile of his own. "Then I'm glad to have stumbled into her good graces." He glanced down at his leg. The pain had significantly diminished, and thanks to Avesa's handy work, the wound was clean and sealed once again. "Thank you, Avesa…for all of this. I owe you an enormous debt of gratitude."

"You are most welcome Kal-El." She said sincerely. "Though I could hardly leave you to die in the wilderness, my husband tells me I have soft spot for strays." Her eyes sparkled in amusement.

Avesa began to place various ingredients into a large bowl. As she added and stirred intermittently, a thick brown paste began to take shape. Slathering strips of linen into the mixture, she began to gingerly wrap them around his leg. A pungent vapor rose from the bowl, causing Kal-El's nostrils to flare with distaste.

Avesa's melodious laugh filled the tent. "It is not the most pleasing of odors, to be sure, but it will harden and protect your wound as it heals. The smell will disappear with the moisture, I assure you."

They settled into an easy hush. He watched her as she meticulously settled each strip around his limb in and ever-widening cast.

It was some time later before he finally broke the quiet. "I came here searching for life," he chuckled gently in self-deprecation. "I was hoping to sweep in and rescue my people. And here I am, being rescued myself." he said softly, his gaze seeking hers.

Avesa was silent a moment, pretending to be wholly focused on her work as she prepared her response. Her tongue darted out to whet her lips and she peered at him from behind a strip of linen. "Perhaps you may still accomplish your mission." She exhaled. "Kal-El, there is much you do not yet know and I struggle to find the words to tell you."

"Perhaps you can begin with telling me how you came to know of the House of El…" he murmured.

"The House of El is regarded highly by anyone who calls themselves Kryptonian." She cast a glance to the door of the tent before continuing. "And that is what we are, Kal-El. We are the last remnant of that once promising civilization."

Shock knifed through him, ripping the air from his lungs. "But, how? The crystals my father sent with me said that Krypton had been destroyed. I had still a long way to go before reaching where the planet was supposed to have been--"

"Your father sent those crystals with you without the full knowledge of how the story would end, Kal-El. When Jor-El first brought forth the warning about our planet's fate, he was met with disbelief and mockery by our high council. Our proud accomplishments had made us proud and haughty, unwilling to believe that anything in the cosmos was more powerful than we…"

*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*

__

"I beseech you, esteemed members of the council, to give ear to my plea and join with me to save our planet, as even now she begins the throes of her demise!" Jor-El's eyes flashed passionately, his hand arcing through the air.

"Oh Jor-El, perhaps you have spent too much time in that laboratory of yours and the lack of sunlight has affected your reason." A giant projection displayed the contemptuous face of a thin, balding man on the smooth surface of a crystalline wall.

A smattering of laughter echoed off the halls of the council's main chamber.

"Leave this place. You disgrace yourself and your family by continuing to pursue this pursuit of weakness and cowardice," another added with disgust.

"Cowardice??" Jor-El's face grew flushed with anger. "I stand before you the sole voice of reason in a society that is so enamored with its own image and accomplishments that it will not ask a glance to the side and view the dangers that bear down upon it!"

"Mind your tongue, Jor-El. You forget yourself and speak out of your station." The incredulous voice of a middle-aged woman rang through the air. "We have humored your paranoid ramblings long enough. Now begone and let this be the last time you darken our door with such insanity."

Jor-El stood before them as still as a statue, his jaw set and his breathing heavy. He cast one last glare in the direction of the council before turning on his heel and stalking from the main chamber of the so-called high council.

His midnight cloak snapped around his ankles as he briskly made his way down the shining hallways of what was, for all intents and purposes, a castle. Fools. Their world was doomed. And they would do nothing. But he would not make the same mistake. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't see Teivel until he was nearly upon him.

"Jor-El. A word." The young noble fell into step beside him. His long black hair was pulled into a neat and sleek ponytail at the base of his skull. A finely trimmed beard lined the border of his mouth, giving him the constant appearance of a scowl. He was tall, but wiry, his long black clothing giving the appearance of perhaps more height than he possessed. Teivel was an ambitious man, and not a man Jor-El's instincts found to be entirely trustworthy. More times than a few, Teivel's ambition had led him onto paths that Jor-El feared would one day lead him into darkness.

Jor-El did not slow his gate. "Not now, Teivel. I am in no mood to be mocked any further. The council you hold in such high esteem has spoken. They have sentenced our world to death to save their own miserable pride and I will not stand by and watch it happen."

"Lower your voice, my friend. I heard everything that went on and know very well how thin is the ice on which you find yourself. You are one rash word away from being charged with treason."

"Treason." The scientist stopped in his tracks. "Not a week ago I was the final authority in the banishment of three of our planet's greatest enemies, and today **I** am in danger of treason?" Jor-El laughed humorlessly. "Perhaps Rao has been wise to choose this fate for us. Perhaps the best course for our heritage is its demise..."

Teivel grabbed him by the arm. "You don't mean that. Jor-El, I have never known you to be a man of passion. You must come to your senses and hold your tongue. My plan requires that you have all your mental facilities about you."

Jor-El calmly pulled his arm from the younger man's grip. He began walking again, slower this time, his silence giving encouragement for the nobleman to speak.

"I believe your findings are correct. You have never once come to the council with anything but the truth. Your brilliance has known no bounds and your successes--"

"Do not flatter me, Teivel. Make your case and be on your way. I have much work to do and precious little time in which to complete it." Jor-El said wearily.

"I would like to lend a hand in the effort to save our civilization." Teivel paused, glancing out of the corner of his eye to gauge Jor-El's reaction. "When you first reported your findings, I utilized my vast wealth to procure a large sector of Myriad mountain and have begun a dig. If you are unable to design a craft that will take us to the safety of unknown space, I propose we fortify ourselves within the mountain, perhaps it will be our best chance of survival."

Jor-El made a sound in his throat. "You focus your energies in a foolish direction my friend. The planet is indeed perishing, and my calculations for the most part have predicted it to be an end that will go unparalleled in its violence." He rubbed his eyes. "Krypton will explode. A bunker lodged in the side of a mountain will only provide us with a more decorative tomb."

Teivel quickened his step to stand before Jor-El. "Ah yes, but you say for the **most** part. There is a chance that in my shelter, we could somehow survive should the end come in an unexpected and less violent fashion." He put his hand on Jor-El's shoulder, his black eyes glinting in the light of the hall.

The patriarch of the House of El drew in a long, slow breath. He would give anything to believe such a possibility existed. He had been working for months on a vessel design that would somehow rescue his people. Under the ever-increasingly watchful eye of the council, he had made slow progress. There simply wasn't enough time to formulate the crystal needed for such a venture. In a week's time he would have a pod hardly big enough to contain the tiny form of his newborn son. It all seemed so hopeless.

Perhaps there was some merit to Teivel's plan.

Jor-El exhaled. "How long would it take for you to have this fortification ready to receive inhabitants?" he asked.

A smirk jumped to Teivel's features and in a blink it was gone, once again replaced by a carefully blank expression. "No more than a week. I have had my men working on this project from the beginning as I said." He bowed his head in false humility. "And with your blessing, Jor-El, we will continue. I pray that as the time comes, you and your family will be among the first to take shelter there. Should Rao be merciful, and we survive, the new world would be best served with one such as yourself in a place of leadership," he purred.

"I have no desire for the titles to which you aspire, Teivel," Jor El said flatly. "But go. Continue with your plan. And pray we never need to implement it."


End file.
